Laws & Policy
GUARD Act
A pending Senate bill, S. 3062, that would set age checks and disclosures for AI chatbots and limit companion-style chatbots for minors. Not law.
As of September 26, 2026, S. 3062 is not law. The Senate placed it on the legislative calendar on May 11, 2026. Check Congress.gov before you rely on this status.
- Policymakers and staff
- Businesses
- Parents
This is general information, not legal advice.
What parents should know
The GUARD Act is Senate bill 3062, the Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue Act. It is not law. On May 11, 2026 the Senate placed it on the legislative calendar after Judiciary reported it. Sponsors describe limits on companion-style chatbots for minors, a non-human disclosure, and crimes when a chatbot engages in sexual conduct with a minor or solicits self-harm.
On this page
What is the GUARD Act?
Congress.gov lists S. 3062 and a latest action on May 11, 2026: placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders, Calendar No. 406. Reported by committee is not passage. Passage is not enactment. The bill text says it would take effect 180 days after enactment. It has not been enacted.
The sponsor's description of the April 30, 2026 committee vote says the bill would bar providing minors with AI companions that simulate interpersonal or emotional relationships, require chatbots to disclose that they are not human and not a professional, and impose criminal penalties when a company's chatbot engages in sexually explicit conduct with minors or solicits minors to self-harm or violence. The reported text on Congress.gov is the source for elements of an offense. A press summary is not the statute.
Why the GUARD Act matters
Families will hear that Congress banned AI companions. As of this review date, the Senate has not passed this bill and it is not law. State chatbot laws are a separate stack. Some of them are already enacted on their own calendars. If the GUARD Act later became law, preemption would be part of that fight. It is not the law today.
These state laws are not copies of each other. A duty in one state may be missing in the next, and a signature date is not always the day the duties bind. Whether Congress will override some of them is a live debate, described on the federal AI preemption page. Until a federal statute does that, read the state text that applies to you.
How it shows up in practice
- A briefing says the GUARD Act passed because a committee reported it. The calendar status is the correction.
- A product team reads the bill as a draft of the Senate debate and does not stamp it as a duty.
- A parent is pointed at the product in front of the child, and at enacted state text, not at a bill title.
How HeyOtto helps
The GUARD Act would limit companion-style chatbots for minors. It is not law, so HeyOtto does not claim to comply with it. Today a parent provisions the account for ages 8–18 and can read the chats. Topic limits apply per child. Distress brings crisis resources in the chat and a parent alert.
- There are no ads, and chats are not sold or used to train models.
- Topic limits are per child.
- This bill is not a compliance badge.
For families
Try freeFAQs
Is the GUARD Act law?
No. As of September 26, 2026, S. 3062 has been reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee and placed on the Senate calendar. It has not been enacted. Check Congress.gov.
What would it do for minors?
The sponsor describes limits on companion-style chatbots for minors, a disclosure that the chatbot is not human and not a professional, and criminal penalties for sexual content with minors or soliciting a minor to self-harm. The reported bill text controls if you need the elements of an offense.
Does it replace state chatbot laws?
Not while it is only a bill. Preemption happens when a statute says so and becomes law. See the federal AI preemption page.
Sources
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Law entries are reviewed every quarter.
This is general information, not legal advice.